Embarrassment for Turkey: Pirates hijack weapons ship near Somalia

Somali pirates have hijacked a Turkish weapons ship near the coast of Africa. The ship contained UAVs and sensitive satellite equipment intended for Turkish military forces expanding their operations in Somalia. The pirates managed to reach the ship using another vessel they had hijacked a few months ago. The entire hijacking operation can take less than half an hour.

Last week, pirates hijacked a cargo ship flying the Cameroon flag off the coast of Puntland, Somalia, taking control of the vessel and the ten crew members on board. This story might have sounded ordinary, had it not been for the cargo on board that disappeared under disturbing circumstances. The ship was carrying a load of Turkish weapons and military equipment en route to a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu, as well as communication and satellite equipment.

Following the hijacking, an unusual attack occurred nearby, resulting in casualties and deaths, likely carried out by the Turkish military. According to an official Somali source who spoke to the AP news agency, the M/V LUTUF was seized about 3.5 nautical miles from the coast of Maraya, in the Eyl district of Puntland. After the hijacking, the pirates led the ship toward the coast of Nugal. There were six crew members from India, one Turkish citizen, one Georgian citizen, and two Serbian security guards on board. The ship is owned by the company Polar Movement Shipping. Eight pirates, believed to belong to a group already involved in the hijacking of the M/V Sward on April 26, took control of the ship and led it toward the coast in the Garmal area.

Turkish response in the region

After the hijacking, two Turkish-owned ships approached the vessel, while Turkish helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles monitored the area. A day later, a small boat with two men approached the ship and transferred khat, a popular stimulant. After the boat returned to shore, an airstrike occurred at the location. According to reports, four men were killed and two others were wounded. It was not possible to verify who carried out the attack, but it can be estimated that the Turkish military, which is very active in Somalia, is linked to the events.

The return of Somali pirates

The incident occurs against the backdrop of the return of Somali piracy during 2026. Since April, five commercial ships have been seized, and four of them are still held by the pirates, along with 67 crew members. Somali piracy developed after the collapse of the Somali state in 1991. With the disintegration of the central government, Somali waters were left unprotected, and foreign fishing vessels and waste-dumping companies exploited the situation. Piracy gradually developed into an organized industry, and ransom amounts can reach millions of dollars. Another trend contributing to the rise of piracy in the last two years is the fact that the Trump administration has dramatically cut aid budgets to poor regions, including Somalia and the Horn of Africa.

A ship that became an unusual target

The LUTUF is considered an exceptionally unusual target for pirates because its cargo included Turkish weapons and military equipment, alongside UAVs and satellite gear. According to a report in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the ship sailed at the end of July from the port of Tekirdag in Turkey, where the main testing and delivery facilities of Baykar, the central Turkish manufacturer of UAVs and weapons, are located. The incident illustrates the change in the pirates' methods of operation. One of the methods they use today is camouflage within a ship that has already been hijacked previously. In the case of the LUTUF, the pirates boarded it from the Sward, which was hijacked in April. They are equipped with AK-47 rifles and RPG launchers and use ladders with hooks to climb the side of the ship. Such an attack can be completed in less than 30 minutes, indicating that the groups operating today possess a higher level of training and coordination than in the past.